The traditional Saturday afternoon blackout for live football on television has been temporarily lifted over the festive period, giving fans a glimpse of a potential future where every match is broadcast. However, the Premier League is not currently pushing to make this change permanent in England.
The Festive Exception and Scottish Precedent
For two consecutive Saturdays, the long-standing 3pm blackout has been suspended to allow Scottish Premiership matches to be shown live. Sky Sports broadcast Celtic's 4-2 victory over Livingston on December 20th and will do the same for the Dundee derby on January 3rd, with a 2:45pm build-up for the 3pm kick-off.
This follows a similar exception granted in September, when the Scottish FA successfully applied to UEFA to allow the live broadcast of Motherwell's League Cup win over Aberdeen. That same weekend, Premier Sports also showed Real Madrid's La Liga fixture against Espanyol.
Premier League and EFL Hold Firm For Now
Despite these exceptions, the Premier League has no immediate plans to lobby for the blackout's removal. The league's current record-breaking domestic TV rights deal, worth £6.7 billion and running until 2029, has only just begun. This agreement allows Sky Sports and TNT Sports to show up to 270 live matches per season.
The English Football League (EFL) also explored dropping the blackout during its last rights tender in November 2022. Ultimately, it opted against the move, instead signing a landmark five-year deal with Sky worth £935 million.
The Inevitable End? Piracy and Future Deals
Many industry insiders believe the abolition of the blackout is inevitable, but not until after the current Premier League cycle ends in 2029. The primary driver is the need to combat piracy and protect broadcast revenue.
The growing threat of illegal streaming is a major concern, with the Premier League actively pursuing piracy gangs through its 'Boot Out Piracy' campaign. This has led to convictions in countries like Thailand and Vietnam, as well as targeting the use of illegal 'fire sticks' in UK barber shops and cafes.
The theory is that future TV deals may offer every match live, a model Sky already uses successfully for Sunday fixtures. Showing more games legally is seen as a key strategy to stop TV rights deals from shrinking in value.
The Rule's History and Function
The 3pm blackout, governed by Article 48 of UEFA's statutes, was established in the 1960s to protect stadium attendances. It prohibits the live broadcast of matches between 2:45pm and 5:15pm on Saturdays when 50% of fixtures in the top two divisions kick off at 3pm. National FAs must apply to UEFA for exemptions.
The rule also blocks broadcasts of foreign leagues like La Liga and Serie A during this window. The only time it was regularly suspended in England was during the COVID-19 pandemic, when fans were unable to attend matches in person.
While Scottish fans enjoy festive football from their armchairs, the Premier League's blackout remains firmly in place for now, with its future set to be a central debate as the 2029 rights negotiation approaches.
